The Ames City Council voted to waive the fees for the Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market for the 24 weeks the market will be in session and changed the starting time of City Council meetings.

The market will take place Saturday mornings from May 2 to Oct. 17, excluding Saturday, July 4. To operate, there are 75 metered parking spaces reserved for the market that will be closed each day the market is operating, which the city estimates will cost $1,620 in funds to the city’s Parking Fund. The market also has right to use the city’s electricity outlets, which would cost $1 per day of operation.

Lojean Petersen, Ames Main Street Farmers’ Market manager, asked the council to approve her request to waive the farmers market’s requirement to pay back the city for parking and electricity fees.

“My hope was to bring the council to recommend you do waive the fees and become a sponsor of the market,” Petersen said. “We feel like we really have made the Main Street Farmers’ Market more than just a market. We bring 60 or 70,000 people down to the farmers market a year, which is a lot of people. Have it be more of a community event than just a farmers market.”

Petersen said the 75 spots the market uses is a small amount to the 400 parking spots the market fills through customers who come to visit, which generates money for the Parking Fund through parking meters.

Council member Matthew Goodman said he heard concerns from other business owners in the Main Street District about a lack of parking hurting their business during times the market is operating because their customers will not be able to park near the business.

Terry Stark, owner of Chocolaterie Stam on Main Street, said he would still like to see the council waive the farmers market’s fees though he is a business owner.

“There are very few parking spots in downtown Ames that are more than two or three blocks away,” Stark said. “Those businesses downtown there, I would encourage them to try unique ways to bring people into their business. I would love to have that market right outside my business.”

Goodman said he agrees that the market could be bringing in more visitors for the existing businesses because they are already at the market, but he said Stark’s product lends itself to more of an easily purchased product.

Council member Peter Orazem said parking spots near Main Street are already difficult to find.

‘I think that’s a good thing. That means we’re having business,” Orazem said. “I know that this is inconvenient, but [the market] is fun and I think we need more of that in this town.”

Council member Gloria Betcher said existing businesses may just encourage their shoppers to change shopping habits on the days the market operates.

The council ultimately waived reimbursement of the fees.

The council also changed the starting time of all City Council meetings and workshops from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., beginning the week of May 17.